Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/96440
up close JEFF WINDUS EDUCATION: Carleton College, B.A., Yale University, M.Div. POSITION AND YEARS AT LATIN: I am the freshman dean and chair of the English Department. This is my 10th year at Latin. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT LATIN? I love working with a team of colleagues who are constantly teaching me, helping me develop as a teacher, a student and a mentor. AND, I love working with young people who always inspire me to think, to laugh and to be a better person. WHY ARE YOU IN EDUCATION? I had a crush on my first grade teacher ��� seriously! For a brief moment I wanted to be a custodian because they got to plow the snow on our playground. But then I met Mrs. Orum. She called me Honey, made me feel safe and taught me how to read. WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES AND INTERESTS? I love to travel; once one trip ends, I usually begin planning the next one. I like to cook, but mostly because I love to eat. Finally, I���m always reading, both things that are good for me and things that are not. WHAT WAS THE LAST GOOD BOOK YOU READ? These are my top books of the past couple of years: Helen Simonson���s Major Pettigrew���s Last Stand, Abraham Verghese���s Cutting for Stone, David Nichol���s One Day, and G.B. Edwards The Book of Ebenezer Le Page. Do yourself a favor and read them. They are un-put-downable, insightful and pack a real emotional wallop. WHAT ARE YOUR GUIDING PRINCIPALS? Be nice. Be decent. Make my grandmothers proud. WHAT ARE THE TRAITS YOU ADMIRE MOST IN OTHERS? Humor. Confidence. Empathy. WHAT PROFESSION, OTHER THAN EDUCATION, COULD YOU ALSO SEE YOURSELF DOING? I���d be a nurse. WHO HAS BEEN THE LARGEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR LIFE? My grandmothers. They embodied unconditional love in the most beautiful of ways. Every good trait I have was first modeled by them. WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE YOUR MAIN ROLE IS AS A DEAN? Making sure all of our students know that they are known, understood and cared for.